Quincy (Seireitou)
The Quincy (滅却師 (クインシー), Kuinshī; Japanese for "Monk of Destruction") are Humans classified as Psysises that possessed the power to perceive the world of spirits and connect with the beings of that world, subsequently allowing them to detect the existence of Hollows. They are the polar opposite of Shinigami, in the same manner as the ancients depicted yin and yang, which has caused multiple interactions of hostility between them throughout centuries. History Originally, Quincy were known as humans that could serve as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual worlds. They were known by many names, such as priests and exorcists, but in ancient lore, were known solely as shamans. The nature of their reiryoku was different than other Psysises, in that it sought to connect with spiritual beings in the form of allowing Quincy to connect their internal spiritual power with reishi; that which composes the beings of the spiritual world. The original purpose of Quincy was to connect humans with the spiritual world, so that they would not fear that which they could not normally perceive by their own power, and this would lead to an everlasting peace. The Shaman, a being known only to few that study the ancient Quincy lore, is regarded as the one who first possessed this power and utilized it as a means of connecting humans with the spiritual world. During this time, the Quincy were known under a different name, the "Unifiers" (though written in an ancient dead language that no longer exists), referring to their purpose of serving as a bridge between worlds and the mediators for peace and understanding. However, while this was the intention, the Quincy chose instead to connect their spiritual energy with free-flowing reishi and impose their will over it, so as to construct a means of battling Hollows and other beings they deemed threats. The will to create violence and spread dissension between the physical and the spiritual worlds was what caused the pure-intentioned ability of Quincy to become tainted with hatred and selfishness, turning it into a power that destroys souls rather than purifies them. This is the basis for modern-day Quincy. Origins While having spread his teachings throughout the world, after establishing a home for those that followed him, aptly named Atlantis, the Shaman conceived three children of his own who would serve as his successors. However, this was not the case. The three children, Yhwach, Micythos, and Astraia, inspired selfishness in the humans whom were taught peace. Yhwach, a baby born void of all senses, could distribute parts of his soul and grant humans that which they were lacking, so as to sustain himself. Micythos grew up to become a being far too proud of his power and inspired Psysises to take up arms and boast their superiority against ordinary humans. All but Astraia, who seemed indifferent to her power, the three children caused the "Unifiers" to eventually turn on their intended purpose and become destroyers of spiritual beings rather than bridges between them, leading to them taking on the name "Quincy", meaning "monk of destruction". It is unknown if Micythos or Astraia ever distributed pieces of their souls, but Yhwach, who had distributed his soul to many humans, became known as the father of all Quincy and their King, as his blood flows in every modern Quincy. The Quincy were known to have been scattered all over the world at one time. Fall of the Quincy Failed Reconciliation Traditions Blood Purity Philosophy Attire Quincy Powers Reishi Absorption & Manipulation: The basis of all Quincy power and ability is to connect their reiryoku, that dwells within their body, with reishi around them, allowing them to draw those particles in and craft both weapons and techniques from them that suit their user; they absorb reishi and then manipulate it to their liking. It is in this regard that sets them apart from Shinigami, as they use the spiritual power created from their soul in conjunction with a Zanpakutō to fight, which can be said is using a power from within, while a Quincy uses the reishi in the atmosphere and combines it with their reiryoku to create weapons, thus using a power from outside. Quincy have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of reishi such as in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. Those that possess advanced skill levels in the Quincy craft of reishi absorption and manipulation find no distinction between reishi and reiryoku as a source of power. *'Spirit Weapon:' Quincy train to absorb reishi and craft armaments unique to them, though in most cases, their weapon is a bow. Spirit Weapons, like Zanpakutō, are also capable of harming Hollows, which was their intended purpose. However, a Spirit Weapon completely destroys Hollows rather than purifying them. The only thing that limits the power of a Quincy's Spirit Weapon is the Quincy's own stamina and spiritual power. :*'Heilig Pfeil' (神聖滅矢 (ハイリッヒ・ブファイル), Hairihhi Bufairu; German for "Holy Arrows", Japanese for "Sacred Destruction Arrows"): The most common Spirit Weapon forged by Quincy, these "arrow of lights" are considered the most valuable weapons to a Quincy in the fight against Hollows. Though they can be used consecutively, these arrows can damage the Quincy's hands if not sufficiently practiced in wielding them. However, this is but the most basic expression of a Quincy's power. Connecting their reiryoku with reishi is a skill that has far more broad capabilities, which is where modern Quincy have failed to inherent from the Shaman's generation in lieu of their desire for power and selfish survival. Astraia is considered the only one among the Shaman's children that inherited these skills and mastered them to their fullest. It is unknown if they were ever passed on. *'Purification:' Under Construction Battle Techniques Despite the fact that the original purpose of Quincy was to connect humanity with the world of spirits, the modern Quincy that have bastardized the way of the "Unifiers" turned these abilities into a form of combat. In doing so, several various battle techniques were crafted to aid Quincy in the fight against Hollows. *'Hirenkyaku' (飛廉脚, literally "Flying Screen Step/God Step") *'Blut' (血装 (ブルート), Burūto; German for "Blood", Japanese for "Blood Guise") is a Quincy ability that gives a practitioner inhuman defensive and offensive capability. By making reishi flow into their blood vessels, Quincy increase their attack and defense power drastically. Though Blut is significantly dangerous, it has one big flaw; the two forms of Blut for attack and defense work using two different reishi systems, so they cannot be used at the same time. :*'Blut Vene' (静血装 (ブルート・ヴェーネ), Burūto Vēne; German for "Blood Vein", Japanese for "Stilled Blood Guise"): The defensive system. ::*'Blut Vene — Stahlhaut' :*'Blut Arterie' (動血装 (ブルート・アルテリエ), Burūto Aruterie; German for "Blood Artery", Japanese for "Moving Blood Guise"): The offensive system. ::*'Blut Arterie — Hochtouren' *'Ransōtengai' (乱装天傀, literally "Heavenly Wild Puppet Suit") *'Irmin Wurdiz' (尊運命 (高貴な運命), Old High German for "Exalted Fate", Japanese for "Exaggerated Fate") *'Heiliges Feuer' (神聖滅火の手 (ホーリーファイア), Hairihhi Faia; German for "Holy Fire", Japanese for "Sacred Destruction Flames") *'Quincy: Letzt Stil' (滅却師最終形態（クインシー・レツトシュティール）, Kuinshī Retsutoshutīru; German for "Last Style", Japanese for "Destruction Sage: Final Form, Quincy") :*'Quincy: Vollständig' (滅却師完聖体 (クインシー・フォルシュテンディッヒ), Kuinshī Forushutendihhi; German for "Quincy: Complete", Japanese for "Monk of Destruction: Complete Holy Form") *'Sklaverei' (聖隷 (スクラヴェライ), Sukuraverai; German for "Slavery", Japanese for "Holy Slave") Spellcasting Kirchenlied (聖唱 (キルヒエンリート), Kiruhienrīto; German for "Church Hymn", Japanese for "Holy Chant") are a system of spells utilized by only the most skilled and studied Quincy, akin to Kidō that is used by the Shinigami. While these were originally intended to aid the "Unifiers" in their pursuit to connect humanity with the world of spirits, many of them have been altered into combat spells. Combat Style Training Quincy training is referred to as Seiren (聖練, "Sacred/Holy Training"). Quincy Items Behind the Scenes The basis for the Quincy's original purpose was inspired by the concept of Ninshū from the manga series, Naruto.